Extrusion die for dough

ABSTRACT

An extrusion die is provided for extruding a cup-shaped shell made from a dough, more specifically a simulated potato skin which is used to make a simulated stuffed baked potato.

Elite Sttes atent 11 1 Glabe et al. 1 May 22, 1973 [54] EXTRUSION DIEFOR DOUGH 2,677,335 5/1954 Maldari ..425/464 [75] Inventors: Elmer F.Glabe, Chicago; Perry W. 3408433 10/1968 Brayfordm ""425/464 x A d N1 stL it 3,480,995 12/1969 Lenk ..425/464 8 3,487,142 12/1969 Johnson eta]..425/464 x Ch1cago, all of I11.

Assignee: Food Technology, Inc., Chicago, Primary Examiner SpencerOverholser [22] Filed: Oct 18, 1971 Assistant Examiner-Richard BernardLazarus Attorney-Johnston, Root, OKeeffe, Keil, Thompson [211 App]. No..189,936 and Shurfleff 52 US. Cl ..425/462, 425/461 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl..A2lc 3/00, A23p 1/00 58 Field of Search ..425/464, 461,462, Anextrusion die is provlded for extruding a p- 425 37 3 2 3 22 shapedshell made from a dough, more specifically a simulated potato skin whichis used to make a simu- [56] References Cited lated stuffed bakedpotato.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1942 Klammroth ..425/464 X 4 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures PATENTEDMmzzms 3.734672 7/ I FIG.I

"4" 3 \NVENTORS: ELMER F. GLABE PERRY w. ANDERSON STERGOIS LAFTSIDISEXTRUSION DIE FOR DOUGH BACKGROUND In a copending application Ser. No.177,861, filed Sept. 3, 1971 and assigned to the assignee of thisapplication, we have described a composition and method for making asimulated stuffed baked potato. The preparation of such a simulatedbaked potato involves the preparation of a simulated potato skin orshell.

In the aforesaid patent application several methods are described forpreparing the simulated potato skin or shell, one method being byextrusion through a die having a generally U-shaped extrusion orifice.

OBJECTS One of the objects of the present invention is to provide aspecial type of extrusion die which is particularly useful for theextrusion of an extrudable dough to produce a simulated potato skin orshell that can be employed to prepare a simulated stuffed baked potato,all portions of which are edible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of making a doughshell having a cavity open at the top wherein the dough is extrudedthrough a generally U-shaped opening under conditions such that it curlsas it emerges from said opening.

THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the face of an extrusion dieillustrating an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the rear of the die shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3,3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4,4 of FIG. 2.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention anextrusion die for dough is provided comprising a plurality ofpassageways from the rear of said die to a slot extending across theface of said die, said 'slot being generally U-shaped with a substantialhorizontal central section and an upwardly extending section on each endof said central section, said passageways leading to said upwardlyextending sections of said slot being smaller in the areas adjacent saidslot than said passageways leading to said horizontal section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, the die 1comprises an outer face 2 having therein an extrusion orifice or slot 3which has a substantial horizontal central section 4 and two upwardlyextending sections 5 and 6 which are slanted from the vertical. Aplurality of passageways 7, 8, 9, I0, 11, 12, l3, l4, and extend fromthe rear of the die 1 (see FIG. 2) to the slot 3 in the face of the die.These passageways open to a recessed portion 16.

In the embodiment shown, all of the passageways are tubular and have acircular cross section. The passageways 9 to 13 have the same crosssection throughout. Passageways 8 and 14 have the same diameter aspassageways 9 to 13 in the inner portion 17 (FIG. 4) toward the rear ofthe die but have a constriction or offset portion 18 and a smallerdiameter in the portion which connects with the slot 3.

In a typical die, the sides of the slot 3 are substantially parallel andthe width of said slot is usually within the range of one sixty-fourthinch of one-sixteenth inch, preferably approximately one thirty-secondinch. The central section 4 is usually approximately 123/32 inches long.Each of the upwardly extending sections 5 and 6 is usually approximatelythirty-one thirty-seconds inch long. The angles between said centralsection and said upwardly extending sections are usually eachapproximately 127. The passageways 8 to 13 are usually approximatelyeleven thirty-seconds inch in diameter throughout. The passageways 8 and14 are usually eleven thirty-seconds inch in diameter in the innerportion as at 17 in FIG. 4 and one-fourth inch in diameter in the outerportion as at 19 in FIG. 4. The passageways 7 and 15 are usuallyapproximately seven thirtyseconds inch in diameter throughout.

The die 1 contains an outer flange 20 and an outer surface 21 which isoffset inwardly and is adapted to be received in the end of the extruderportion of an extrusion apparatus which consists of an auger operatingin a closely confined tube. The die 1 is held in the end of said tube inany suitable manner by means of a die holder, not shown.

A dough which can be prepared as described in the manner set forth inthe aforesaid patent application when extruded from the die previouslydescribed tends to curl somewhat, thereby assuming the general contoursof one-half of a natural baked potato section. The extruded dough canthen be cut by an automatically operating knife blade into sections asdetermined by the operating speed of the knife blade. In the practice ofthe invention it isusually preferable to cut the sections of extrudeddough so that the resultant pieces of dough are roughly cup-shaped andapproximately 3 to 3% inches in length and approximately 2% to 3 inchesin width. The features of the die permit the production of thesecup-shaped pieces with very little additional hand work being necessaryto make them into perfectly simulated potato skins.

An important feature of the invention resides in the size, curvature andrelative relationship of the passageways 7 to 15 whereby as the doughenters the extrusion slot 3 a drag is provided which contributes to thecurling of the dough upon emerging from the slot. Thus, drag is produceddue to the fact that passageways 8 and 14 are restricted and more orless dishshaped and also due to the fact that passageways 7 and 15 aswell as passageways 8 and 14 are smaller in cross section thanpassageways 9 to 13.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. An extrusion die for dough comprising a plurality of passageways fromthe rear of said die to a slot extending across the face of said die,said slot being generally U-shaped with a substantial horizontal centralsection and an upwardly extending section on each end of said centralsection, said passageways leading to said upwardly extending sections ofsaid slot being smaller in the areas adjacent said slot than saidpassageways leading to said horizontal section.

2. A die as claimed in claim 1 in which said slot has substantiallyparallel sides and said passageways are tubular and have larger crosssectional dimensions than the distance between the parallel sides ofsaid slot.

3. A die as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of said passagewaysin each of said upwardly extending sections is constricted at a pointintermediate between the rear of said die and said slot.

4. A die as claimed in claim 1 in which the width of said slot isapproximately one thirty-second inch, the central section of said slotis approximately 1-23/32 inches long, each of the upwardly extendingsections of said slot is approximately thirty-one thirty-seconds inchlong, the angles between said-central section and said upwardlyextending sections are each approximately 127 degrees, the passagewaysleading to said central section of said slot are approximately eleventhirtyseconds inch in diameter, one of said smaller passageways adjacentthe upper end of each of said upwardly extending sections isapproximately seven thirtyseconds inch in diameter and anotherpassageway intermediately disposed between said last mentionedpassageway and said horizontal section in each of said upwardlyextending sections is approximately eleven thirty-seconds inch indiameter at the rear of said die and is offset laterally inward to adiameter of approximately one-fourth inch at an intermediate pointbetween the rear end of said passageway and said slot.

1. An extrusion die for dough comprising a plurality of passageways fromthe rear of said die to a slot extending across the face of said die,said slot being generally U-shaped with a substantial horizontal centralsection and an upwardly extending section on each end of said centralsection, said passageways leading to said upwardly extending sections ofsaid slot being smaller in the areas adjacent said slot than saidpassageways leading to said horizontal section.
 2. A die as claimed inclaim 1 in which said slot has substantially parallel sides and saidpassageways are tubular and have larger cross sectional dimensions thanthe distance between the parallel sides of said slot.
 3. A die asclaimed in claim 1 in which at least one of said passageways in each ofsaid upwardly extending sections is constricted at a point intermediatebetween the rear of said die and said slot.
 4. A die as claimed in claim1 in which the width of said slot is approximately one thirty-secondinch, the central section of said slot is approximately 1-23/32 incheslong, each of the upwardly extending sections of said slot isapproximately thirty-one thirty-seconds inch long, the angles betweensaid central section and said upwardly extending sections are eachapproximately 127 degrees, the pAssageways leading to said centralsection of said slot are approximately eleven thirty-seconds inch indiameter, one of said smaller passageways adjacent the upper end of eachof said upwardly extending sections is approximately seventhirty-seconds inch in diameter and another passageway intermediatelydisposed between said last mentioned passageway and said horizontalsection in each of said upwardly extending sections is approximatelyeleven thirty-seconds inch in diameter at the rear of said die and isoffset laterally inward to a diameter of approximately one-fourth inchat an intermediate point between the rear end of said passageway andsaid slot.